


Rick and Norty

by LordTraco



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Angst, Emotionally broken Rick, Hurt/Comfort, I just wanted to make feels honestly, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mentions of Auto Erotic Assimilation, Mentions of Meeseeks and Destroy, N-137 Morty, Post Season 3 Episode 1, Replacement Morty, Rick handles things poorly, Suicide mention, may raise rating next chapter, swears
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-11-06 15:54:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11039406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordTraco/pseuds/LordTraco
Summary: "It was a reckless decision to leave his wife and Beth, it was a desperate decision to leave Bird Person and Squanchy, but there was no more difficult a decision he’d made in his life than to turn away from his Morty."





	1. Breaking Point

It was a tight rope to walk, Rick realized almost numbly. He had to ensure that his grandkids didn’t know he cared for them, lest they become a liability. He envisioned it as two lines. The first line was the threshold for how awful he had to be to keep them at a safe emotional distance from him. The second was the threshold for which his shitty actions would cause the teens permanent psychological stress and insecurities. As long as he skirted between those lines, he was fine!

If he was too nice, they’d act as if he were always going to save them and not immediately try to ensure their own safety. If he was too mean, they’d probably take his apparent hatred to heart and start believing the shit he spewed out and decide not to ensure their own safety.

So clearly he just had to stay between both thresholds. Nice and simple, be the alcoholic asshole of a grandfather who will totally leave you to die most of the time, but still be goofy and helpful and kind on occasion. Keep ‘em guessing and maybe they’ll survive his presence in their lives.

But lately, their determination that he cared was slowly increasing with every insight Summer made. She was far too perceptive with people, practically a genius at it in the same way he was a genius at science and general survival. It spelled trouble for him. He could only helplessly watch as the two lines swapped places. He couldn’t afford to be kind to them anymore thanks to that dumb kid seeing through his mask.

…

But his mask was awfully heavy as their latest mission wrapped up. Morty’s anger reared its awful head as it so often did these days. Rick knew that anger should be directed at him, at the man who shoved a 14 year old into a life of being a replaceable cloaking device for a swearing alcoholic outlaw who broke apart their family. But that damn idea of unconditional love and morals meant Morty wouldn’t allow himself to treat his grandfather like the shit they both knew he was. No, instead he took it out on poor assassins just doing their day job.

But that’s the thing about assassins. If you don’t have a spaceship to squish them with, they tend to be better than young, hot-blooded teenagers.  

It was a shootout that left one dead, one grievously injured, and one Rick. Rick didn’t really consider himself alive or dead, just a constant drunken state of Rick.

Morty wasn’t doing so great on the alive/Rick/dead scale. Rick pressed on the wound with one hand, scrambling around for any of his first aid serums, cursing at his luck. Any assassins worth a damn didn’t waste time with physical bullets unless they’re laced with an uncurable poison.

…

Morty was going to die.

…

Morty was dying.

…

The thoughts sounded in his brain, but for once in his life, Rick could not grasp the basic facts before him.  Sure there were other Mortys out there without a Rick and vice versa. Their new home dimension proved plain as day that either or both of them could die at any time. But this was Rick. The Rick-est Rick he knew. With the Morty-est Morty he knew. They didn’t die, they couldn’t. Sure it was a possibility just as it was a possibility that giant farting butts could dot the countryside. A far away possibility for far away dimensions he didn’t have to consider.

He was crying, he noticed when his mind provided a different, more acceptable fact instead. Rick was crying and sobbing Morty’s name as Morty wailed in pain. Finally getting himself together enough, he shot his grandson with a powerful painkiller. He found himself readying his excuses; I didn’t wanna blow out my eardrums, I wanted to get in a cinematic final speech without you howling the whole time, you were rumpling up my lab coat in your agony. But he didn’t need them. He didn’t need the mask.

“Rick. Rick I-I’m so sorry. Rick-Rick listen! I-I want. I want you to use the coupon.” Morty spoke quickly when he won the war against pain for control over his voice. “Don’t be lonely Rick. I love you Grandpa Rick.”

“Morty why the hell would you think I’d use…” He sniffled, gasping for air through his sobs. “How dare you think you’re replaceable, Morty. One hundred years, Morty, don’t you remember? F-forever Rick and Morty dot com, Morty. Didn’t I teach you better math, Morty? This hasn’t… hasn’t been a hundred years.”

There was a drawn out silence and Rick feared the worst when Morty spoke up one final time.

“You taught me lots.” It was so weak it was barely above a whisper.

And that was it.

And that was the breaking point. Rick hadn’t cried in years, and all the other losses he’d endured in the rebellion, all the misery he’d faced alone, the memories of his breakups with Unity… Morty was the final straw… or maybe the only straw, in fact. But to hell if those other things didn’t come to demand their own tearload as well. He sobbed for Morty, the life he could have had continuing their legacy or simply living his own. And then he sobbed for his loss of Morty, the loss of the only one who dared ask him all the stupid questions, the only one life had granted him an excuse to keep by his side… He sobbed for Bird Person, for Squanchy, for his little Beth, for his family new and old, for the life he’d now have to live unless he actually… actually used that coupon.

After the fall of the Citadel of Ricks, a new bunch had scavenged the last of the marketplace aspect of it, keeping up the only good parts of it anyways. The spare parts for portal guns and such… and the finding of Rick-less Mortys for Morty-less Ricks, and surprisingly vice versa. Hell it was practically tindr for finding a replacement grandkid/grandfather. And though Rick didn’t have many ideas about romance, he knew he felt the same way about tindr as he did about this setup. He wouldn’t ever see his new Morty as… as his grandson.

But Morty’s… his Morty’s dying wish had been for his grandfather not to be lonely. And honestly what else could he do besides go and find another Morty? Any other friend he made would be in danger.

It was a reckless decision to leave his wife and Beth, it was a desperate decision to leave Bird Person and Squanchy, but there was no more difficult a decision he’d made in his life than to turn away from his Morty. Closing the poor boy’s eyes one final time, Rick felt his heart petrifying him in place, telling him to just lay here with his Morty until they both decayed like the two they buried in the backyard.

But he couldn’t. For Morty’s sake… he couldn’t.

...

It was pretty difficult covering for his new Morty, though at least he didn’t have to deal with Jerry at all anymore with the whole divorce thing going on. Of course he’d been shown a Morty from such a different universe that he didn’t even realize his parents had any problems. Or maybe without a Rick there, there were no problems. Either way it really hurt the poor kid’s psyche. Not that Rick cared. This wasn’t Morty. He dubbed him N-137-Morty, New-Morty, and Not-Morty in his mind. Norty. In his ever-drunk brain it was a perfect name for his not-grandson. Who he could definitely more easily not care about.


	2. Chapter 2: Side 1: Norty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little short, just showcasing Norty's side to the first day in Rick's dimension.  
> Since Norty still thinks of himself as Morty, he will be referred to as that in his side chapter, just to clarify.

“Summer ca-can I talk with you?” Morty asked one day while Rick was off doing who knew what in who knew where.

“Anything, lil bro.” Summer said, noticing his anxious attempt at looking serious that he so rarely used.

“I… you know how… I’m not your Morty, right?” He asked pensively, rubbing his arm.

“Is this about the graves in the backyard again? More night terrors? Because if-“

“What no! I- Wait those are graves??”

“Morty you told me you and Grandpa Rick dug those when you two uh… replaced the dead ones here.” Summer said with a soft voice. She didn’t really want to think much of it, but she had in fact dug up her own rick’s body for his portal gun in her desperation. It was… unsettling to say the least.

But the look on Morty’s face didn’t match up. He didn’t know this. How could he not-

“I’m not… That Morty died too. Rick, he... grabbed me from a dimension where I barely ever went on adventures. I don’t… I-I didn’t know a-about those gr-gra-graves… Rick took me. Rick isn’t. None of you a-are mine. Taken home from school and i-it’s not home…” He stood, hands clenched into fists and trying to hold back tears. 

“Morty. Please tell me you're joking!”

“Ask me a-about Ball Fondlers, Summer! A-ask me any tri-trivia!! I don't know anything because I-iii-I've never watched it!”

“But just last Saturday…”

“Geez do-don't you get it?! I'm not him!” Morty let tears fall openly, hugging himself tightly as if to block out reality.

“Well…” Her voice took the gentle tone he knew far too well. The tone she took when she swallowed her own thoughts in order to comfort him.  _ Well... Morty it was just a hairclip. Well… at least you didn't bleach my other favorite shirt.  _ And now  _ well you're still my brother. _ He couldn't let her say that in a comforting lie voice.

“Stop. Come… come get me when you've ha-had a minute to process this.” with that, Morty trudged out of the room. His gut said to go talk with his mom, who was always so wise and supportive… only to hear her arguing with what must be his father over the phone in their room. He couldn't help but realize how reliant this Morty must have been on Rick without any other available adult support.

Rick must have made it so. Sure it might just be a dimensional difference, but the only difference Morty could figure from this and his own was Rick not being there… did he purposefully cause the rift between just to more easily slip away with his shield? Morty wouldn't put it past him.

Morty sat at the locked door of the garage, steaming. The faint smell of exhaust brought back memories he didn't want to remember. Rick wouldn't be gone forever. He wouldn't strand his new Morty in a different dimension without him.

“Honey?” Of course his not-mom found him crying. Of course.

“H-hey mom.”

“He left, didn't he?”

“Pr-probably on-only for a bit!”

“But you never know, right?” She said, kneeling down to wipe away his tears. Then she sat beside her son, a wine bottle still in hand.

“I'm sorry mom.”

“Don't you ever be sorry, Morty. You’re never to blame for other people leaving.” She said, putting down the wine to embrace Morty. 

Morty cried into her shoulder, wondering how his own mom was feeling, losing both her dad and son. He wanted so bad to tell her everything, to just run himself out of words, but the truth would break her.

So instead he stayed quiet, unspoken words eating through his insides like acid. For a brief moment he considered asking to drink, but she wasn't that bad a parent. So he just wallowed in misery in the arms of a borrowed mother until exhaustion knocked him out.


	3. Chaper 2: Side 2: Rick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick needs to grieve and goes to one of the only shoulders he has left to cry on.

Even Rick couldn’t deny he was terrible with grudges. Especially ones he formed without logical basis. And he had a grudge against Norty for… well… not being Morty. It hit him hard just how far away N-137 Morty was within the first moments they met. 

“Hey Morty, how was school? Your m-urp-mom wanted me to pick you up today.” Rick said, opening the door to his spaceship for his new grandson. The first wrong move was Morty quietly getting in without a single stupid question. It wasn’t until they portaled back home that he mumbled under his breath “So you aren’t him. You did die.” 

“Yeah we-well so di-urp-did you. Fair’s fair, go eat supper.” 

“Geez Rick…”

“Whatever.” 

…

It wasn’t long until Rick had another breakdown, but he refused to have it in the garage. He damned the consequences and headed out in the spaceship towards where he knew Unity to be. 

…

“Hey.”

“She doesn’t wish to speak with you.” The one eyed Borg rip off stated.

“I know.” Rick said with an air of defeat which felt so foreign to every cell in his body. “I just need someone to talk to. Please.”

“I ah… suppose I could talk with you.”

“Maybe if you assimilate me, then Unity’d…” His voice caught in his throat. The name felt like acid poured straight on his heart. Rick slammed the communication feed closed as a sob wrenched its way out of him. 

A new one opened near immediately, but he couldn’t lift his head to face it. There was too much grief, too much shame. 

“Rick.” The voice was hers, the voice of a strong, steady woman in charge and standing tall. Sure the octave might change, but the air of confidence never left. Unity. 

He was tempted to slam off the feed again, to turn around and run home, but ships were already coming up to meet him, he was sure. Soon enough, he felt motion as Unity had pilots rope up his ship and reel it in. 

He didn’t move from his spot with his head on the steering wheel until a gentle hand patted his shoulder. 

“Rick, talk to me.” 

“He’s dead. Morty, Bird Person, maybe even Squanchy, but my Morty… I could barely handle realizing we’re bad for each other, but now? I think I’m just… just bad for everyone.”

“Please, don’t say that. I know you, Rick, you would have given anything to keep that boy safe. And not just safe as a cloaking device, but as a person.”

“A lot of good wanting for it is… and w-worst still Morty begged me to get another with his dying breath… because a lonely grandpa is what he should have been thinking on his d-damn deathbed.”

“And is this new Morty still as bright and loveable?”

“Hell no, he’s quiet and reserved and wimpy! He’s not my Morty!”

“This is a new body, am I not your Unity?”

“Of course you are! You’ve still got that confidence. You’re still you no matter the body!”

“Then shouldn’t you say one is still a morty no matter the dimension? Sure he’s different, but you’ve DONE different through me. If you can seamlessly shift from talking with any of my different bodies, then you should be perfectly capable of seeing the similarities and things you love in both your new and old Morty.”

“Unity… it’s not… not the same. A different dimension is… A different dimension doesn’t have the memories, it’s a restart. You at least remember me.”

“I remember a Rick who was unchangeable. Who couldn’t open up if the sky was falling. And here you are, using tear ducts I didn’t know you had.”

“So I changed… I’m allowed.” 

“As are we all. That’s what I’m saying, Rick. We all change. Maybe the Morty you had would have become someone extremely foreign to you in time-”

“He wouldn’t! One hundred years Rick and Morty! We’d never have been apart! I wouldn’t have let him-”

“Rick. Give this Morty a chance. If you have to think of him as different, then think of him as a new grandson. Not a replacement, a new member of the family.”

“You’re talking like a parent who got their kid a new dog far too soon after the old one passed.”

“Maybe so, Rick, but it works, doesn’t it?” 

“Yeah... “ He hung his head, for once refusing to rest his head on Unity’s large rack. She always did wear her comfiest body for him, and he did appreciate it. 

“Rick I… saw how close you were to…” She left the silence heavy in the air. 

“I figure that’s why I woke up the next mornin’ with a bruised forehead.” He said with the ghost of a laugh.

“Deserved a slap to the face, Rick. Imagine if you’d left your poor family like that! You’d have had your whole family feeling like you do now! And me too!”

“You know I wasn’t thinking right at the time. I’m better now.”

“You’d better be. Because if I find out… if you try again and succeed, know I’m taking over your whole planet to spare them the pain.”

“Un, that’s always your go to threat!” 

“Yeah and I should’ve already made good on it last time you forgot my birthday.”

“I told you, Bird Person was.” Rick stopped himself, feeling his heart clench again. “Was molting… had… had to stay and help.” He sniffled.

Unaware of the similarity, Rick cried himself to sleep in the arms of a caring woman the same way Norty did. 

...

In the morning, he found himself back in his spaceship in the garage, the autopilot having gotten him home safely. Opening the door to the house, he nudged against something. Two somethings. A Beth and a Norty, both passed out with tears dried on their cheeks. A sobering scene with his lovely almost-family possibly worried he’d left for good.

Ignoring the pang in his heart, Rick walked past the groggy two towards the kitchen for some coffee. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick and Norty go off on an adventure! It doesn't go as well as expected, that is, it actually goes fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!   
> This chapter exposes some shit Norty has been through, including a Mr. Jellybean incident that went worse than in the show. Only in passing remarks, but felt it deserves the warning.

Another adventure came, as it always did. Rick needed some special wire casing from some slime beings in sector 8Q. Norty was rather quiet in the seat next to him, a trait Rick just couldn’t get used to. Sure, if his Morty had learned to shut up now and again, he would have been ecstatic, but this was just a reminder that it was Norty he was riding with. The shitty, quiet replacement. 

To cover the quiet, Rick talked, which didn’t feel as rewarding as it had with Morty. Sure he asked stupid questions, but at least that helped him learn.

“So we’re going to the Thanx. They’re a little picky about their species name, slurs and Federation suspecting them of treason and all that, so don’t thank me for anything, alright?” 

Norty just nodded, muttering something under his breath out the window. Rick shot down any feelings on the matter. Let Norty be pissy, nothing more than a useless, grumpy cloaking device. 

When they landed, a large purple blob-like being approached them, its tiny nub arms separating in what looked like an excited gesture. The antennae on its head flickered lightly in and out of existence, leaving the guests unsure of whether or not it had even had antennae, not that Rick particularly cared. He was used to the Thanx. 

“I welcome you both, Rick and Norty.” They said in a happy, echoing voice. 

“I-it’s Morty?” Norty corrected, hoping he wasn’t offending the creature by pointing out an accent or anything. 

Rick only facepalmed, knowing full well this would blow up in his face somehow. 

“Morty? Ahh I do apologize, here it is customary to refer to others how they are known to those close to them. This man thinks of you as Norty. Or Not-”

“Yeah ye-urp-yeah.” Rick butted in, “Grateful if you call him M-Morty, do you have the selzium wire coating?”

“Rick w-what the hell?” Norty yelled, pulling at his grandfather’s lab coat. 

“Lo-ook N-nor-nor-m-Morty, we’ll talk about th-this later.”

“Later wh-when you lock me out of the lab? No tha-” Rick slammed a hand over his mouth, glancing to the alien to ensure nothing was heard as the slime rummaged through a tool kit they’d brought out. 

“I’d be most  _ grateful _ if you’d wait until we’re in the car to discuss this.” Rick said, voice even in a sober warning Norty took to heart. 

“My gratitude, Graix.” Rick said when handed the wire coating serum. 

“Graix was my dad, but thanks, I always did try to emulate him.” The Graix said, emphasizing the word to show they didn’t mind it.

“You’re doing a grea-urp-great job, I’m sure he’d be proud.” Rick said, sounding so sincere and full of camaraderie that Norty’s heart felt heavy in envy.

“Sure he’d be proud of you too, what with taking down most of the federation! I’ve been able to say ‘thank you’ to my boyfriends on Pluto without the federation thinking I’m a spy!”

“Gra, you’ve been a spy since you were a splotch! Remember infiltrating enemy vent systems?” 

“No need to, better life ahead of me now. But anytime you need anything, Rick, just lemme know.” Norty was momentarily sure there  _ were _ antennae. 

“Grateful.”

“You’re welcome.” Nope, definitely no antennae.

 

By the time the pleasant conversation ended, Rick could feel his heart dangerously open. It really wasn’t good for him to reminisce about the rebellion days, but lately… lately he felt the need to feel that tragic nostalgia almost as bad as he needed alcohol. 

Norty on the other hand, was fuming. 

“Rick what the hell?” He said the moment the spaceship was in motion. 

“What?” 

“I’m ‘Norty’??” 

“Oh… urp. Yeah.” He said, focusing ahead so they wouldn’t crash and totally not because looking at Morty-NORTY crying right now might break his heart. Not that he was, but Mortys did tend to cry easily in arguments.

“Then wh-what should I call you? Dick? It’d be fitting, wouldn’t it Dick? Make it short for Disaster-Rick o-or Destroyer-Rick because you killed off your own Mo-”

“Fuck you, Norty, you’re not calling me a dick.” His voice held that same warning as before, but it didn’t have the same effect. 

“Yeah, I should call you something more fitting, like Rick… Ruining i-ick. Because you ruin everything. K-killed off your own Morty and picked up some other defective one! How many have you killed off now, huh?”

“NONE! God, Norty use your head! You really think I killed him off?? If I cared so little about my grandson, I wouldn’t be so damn upset about having to replace him!” 

“There! ‘Having to replace him’! He-we’re only a tool you hate that you need!!!”

“FUCK YOU I LOVE THAT I NEED YOU!” Rick blurted out, catching himself too late, too drunk on cheap Earth alcohol to stop the words from falling out. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have an excuse not to be alone.”

“W-what?” 

“I didn’t kill him off. He just fucking di-died and begged me t-to get another him so I… wouldn’t be lonely. You’re fu-uuurp-ucking welcome.” 

Norty stayed quiet for a long while, giving Rick time to replay the conversation over and over in his mind, hating how much he’d given away. 

“Grampa Rick?” 

“Yeah?”

“Where I’m from, you died three years ago. You took me on adventures despite me being only 11. It was overwhelming a-and I sc-screamed at you one-one night… then you never came back.”

“Sounds like something a shitty Rick would do.”

“I-I couldn't e-even ta-tell anyone ab-about the jelly… jellybean…” he said in a quiet almost whisper. 

Rick slammed on the breaks. 

“WHAT???”

“I do-don't want to expla-”

“No that happened but you said your rick died when you were… eleven…”

Norty shivered lightly, hugging himself tightly. Rick noticed this was always his go-to fear body language.

“M… my Morty fought him off be-before much happened…”

“Lucky him!” Norty spat.

Rick turned his seat to face his grandson.”and you never told…”

“You… my rick was an asshole, but he didn't deserve to be remembered as the guy who got his grandson… you know…”

“But what if he’d gotten you sick with something??”

“How is any-anyone on earth going to fix an alien std, Rick?”

“We-well let's-urp-let's get you back and figure out just in case.”

“So you don't lose another Morty?”

“Mort means death, Norty. I don't wanna lose another grandson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Hope you're liking this! I only wrote up to this far in the google docs, so it might take me a day or three to continue it. Let me know any comments you have. Do you mind the age rating increase at all? Is Rick too OOC? Is Norty's hair actually purple and no one notices? Who knows!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of family bonding

Norty readied himself on the ride home for needles and having to pull down his pants or other painful or humiliating things. Instead, Rick took a hair from his scalp and had him lick a cotton swab. And… that was it.

“But how does that even-” Morty began to ask.

“I’m getting a reading of your DNA and then I can do a quick full body scan of you for abnormalities. Easier than needles, plus I need those for drugs.”

“Rick that’s-” 

“Hush Norty, stay still a sec while I do the scan.” Rick interrupted, pulling out what looked like a modified blaster. It spread out a red beam which scanned him head to toe. “Perfect! Alright… looks like the worst thing that fucked up candy gave you was gunrex. It doesn’t do much to people, usually just a little acne, but it’s easily treatable.”

“S-so I’m okay?”

“You will be once I find some of those tablets. Just. Damn, what kinda Rick lets his grandkid go through that and not even-”

“I never told him. I just said I wouldn’t go with him on adventures anymore. And he left and never came back.”

“What a dick. Probably ran off and got caught or joined the citadel or. Wait.” Rick paused, rushing over to a computer and typing in N-137. “Oh my god, Norty holy fucking. Norty look at his hair he was literally Rick Prime, Norty!” 

“Rick Prime?” Norty asked, peeking over to see and bursting out laughing at the ridiculous hairstyle. 

“Norty he fuckin left you do go be some dumb council member! I shot him in the chest, he’s gone Norty! Gone and dead the bastard, I ain’t gonna leave you for some dumb ass job being a partial dictator, I can promise you that!”

“Promise you won’t do that with your hair too?” Norty said, still laughing at the dumb hair of his own grandpa. It stung to find out he really had been left by his original Rick, but the one in front of him right now… this was his Rick.

 

“I’ll color it **pink** before I let it look like any of those dumb-Oh gosh Norty have you even SEEN the other Council Rick haircuts??” 

The next twenty minutes, the two of them just scrolled through the Rick profiles, laughing at the strange and ridiculous styles that set the council members apart. Their laughing fit spurred each other on in a vicious cycle until Summer came to get them for dinner…

At which point she joined in and the three were found by a bemused Beth a few minutes later, all splayed out on the floor laughing to the point of tears.

 

A bunch of misfits, the three of them. All from different dimensions, yes, but family nonetheless. Norty took a deep breath and smiled. 

This was home.


End file.
